Portman Proposal to Prevent Future Shutdowns Gaining Support

Republican Senator Rob Portman of Cincinnati is proposing a bill that would end the possibility of a government shutdown in the future.

Originally published on January 29, 2019 6:13 pm

Ohio Senator Rob Portman is trying to pass a bill that would prevent another government shutdown in the future.

If lawmakers haven’t approved a new budget in time, Portman’s bill would keep the government open with the same level of spending--but for a limited period of time.

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Portman explains the incentive for Congress to resolve a spending impasse.

“There is an incentive to get the committees of congress- the apportion committees back to work by saying after 4 months of continuing the funding from the previous year there would be a 1% reduction in funding across the board. That would affect defense, it would affect social services, everything. I think it’s something that both Republicans and Democrats would not like to see therefore, it would help to get people back to work.”

The legislation now has 25 Republican co-sponsors. The senator says even Republicans and Democrats that aren’t on his bill admit something different needs to be done. He is hopeful that a productive resolution can be reached in the next two and a half weeks before another shutdown could occur February 15th.

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President Trump signs a bill ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. For three weeks. The president says if he doesn't get what he thinks is a fair deal from congress by February 15, the government will shut down again, or he will declare a national emergency to fund a border wall.

The longest government shutdown in history ended after President Trump signed a bipartisan three-week stopgap funding measure late Friday. Several agencies had been partially shuttered for 35 days.

"I am very proud to announce today that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government," Trump said earlier Friday in the White House Rose Garden, announcing the long-awaited bipartisan breakthrough.